Bayern Munich sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae: Decoding his stats
Bayern Munich have bolstered their defense by roping in South Korean defender Kim Min-jae. The center-back has signed a five-year contract with the Bavarians. As per the Italian media, Bayern paid his release clause of €50 million to lure him away from Napoli. Min-jae will add a lot of stability to Bayern's defense and his versatility will also help the club. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Considered one of the breakthrough defenders in world football, Min-jae had a tremendous impact in guiding Napoli to the Serie A title last season, the club's first Scudetto since the 1989-90 season. He was named the best defender in Serie A after marking his debut Serie A campaign in Italy. Thomas Tuchel gets a solid defender as Bayern chase numerous trophies in 2023-24.
A look at his career graph
Min-jae started his career with Gyeongju KHNP in the Korea National League, making 17 appearances. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors signed him in 2017 and he ended up making 60 appearances, scoring thrice. Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan signed him next. He made 59 appearances. Next up, he represented Fenerbahce, making 40 appearances and scoring once. He joined Napoli in 2022, making 45 appearances.
Breaking down his Serie A 2022-23 season stats for Napoli
The 26-year-old made 35 league appearances and registered 14 clean sheets. He also scored twice and made two assists. Min-jae recorded 122 clearances, 41 interceptions, and 26 blocks. He completed 2,547 passes with a passing accuracy of 91%. He made 55 tackles and won 92 aerial duels, besides 65 ground duels.
What does he bring to Bayern?
Min-jae is mostly considered for his physicality and his ability to win duels. However, not many people notice the finesse that he bring with his exceptional passing range. The 26-year-old is also very rapid and has adapted to European football in no time. Min-jae's physical attributes will lift Bayern and he will be expected to lead the backline.
Here are some feats achieved by Min-jae
As per OptaFranz, Min-jae won 69% of his duels in the Champions League last season. He had the best record among all the players who contested in at least 60 duels. No outfield player in Europe's top five leagues made as many forward passes last season as Min-jae (1,057). He ranked third for most passes completed in the 2022-23 season (2,547).
A look at his trophy cabinet
Min-jae has earned 49 caps for South Korea, since making his debut in 2017. He won the K League twice with Jeonbuk (2016-17, 2017-18). In 2018, he won the Asian Games gold with South Korea Under-23. He won the Serie A with Napoli last season. He also won the EAFF Championship in 2019 with South Korea.
